Silence filled the whole place as four figures gathered around a small table that was located in Magnus' monitoring room.
Magnus stole another glance at Maia only to find that the lass was already staring at him. He felt somewhat uncomfortable, and Maia could see through it.
"You could ask instead of just staring"
Both Damian and Maki stared at Maia before turning to Magnus who was now scratching the back of his head.
"What exactly happened? to you I mean? I thought you died in the arena"
"I thought so too. As a matter of fact everyone did"
"Then how? And why are you a —"
Magnus bit back his question when he realized what he was just about to ask.
"A mutant?"
Maia finished the question for him. She had this weird feeling that Magnus despised the topic about mutants and experiments and she could tell that it was because of their mother.
"The government found me breathing and alive when I should've been dead. They experimented on me and somehow to protect myself, Machai resurfaced"
"Machai"
"She's Ate's twin sister"
The confused expression of Magnus had said it all and the three of them understood that.
"You didn't know about the stillborn twin sister of Ate Maia?"
It then dawned to Magnus and reality hit him in the face like a cold wind. He brushed his hands acrossed his face and proceeded to use it to cover his mouth.
"So that's why they didn't let us inside when you were born. Mom experimented on the two of you as soon as you were born"
Maia understood just enough that Magnus didn't know about Machai because their parents had hid that fact.
Maki, Damian and Maia took turns in telling everything to Magnus. From the moment they saw Maia in the fronthouse up till the battle between her and Artemis up to the recent events.
"Grandma wanted to find everyone?"
"Yes, she regrets not remembering everyone and wants all of us to be together again"
Maki hopefully exclaims but the indifferent expressions of the three made him nervous. Maia looked at Maki before sighing.
"I actually want to confirm something with you"
Magnus stared at Maia and somehow he got the impression that she had an idea about his worries.
"Is it about the prophecy of us?"
Maia nodded, before Maki could ask what the prophecy was about Magnus spoke.
"The seven siblings would bring either destruction or hope. That line of the prophecy?"
"Ate what are you talking about?"
"I might have omitted that part when I reported what I remembered before"
Maki glared at his sister before glaring at Damian too. He just knew that Maia would have confided to him which meant he was the only one in the room who didn't know.
"That prophecy is vague Maia"
The three turned their heads in unison towards Magnus.
"Mom had a multiple personality disorder. Atleast that's what I would like to call it. He was called Apollo"
"Wow that was cliche"
It really was cliche, Artemis and a persona named Apollo. Just like the twins of Greek mythology.
"Apollo was the one who told us that prophecy but certain parts are just unclear. He told us the prophecy in these specific words. 'The seven blessed children would bring either destruction or hope to this world. The seven offspring of an egotistical human would be the end and beginning of a new world.'"
"That's exactly what I heard"
"Do you think he made it up?"
Damian asked the siblings.
"It could be, there was no way I was going to trust that persona"
Magnus replied with such disgust.
"Then how would you know if that prophecy was true or made up?"
"Are you saying the only possible way to know is to bring the seven of us together?"
Maia looked at Magnus who was already staring at her.
"I don't know how to prove whether the prophecy was true or not. Mom said we were blessed by the seven Gods and truth be told we are different from any other normal human being"
Maki looked at Magnus, that bulked up body and undeniable presence that could definitely crush anyone's spirits. Anyone could feel that, even a simple person would be able to ascertain that.
And yet here he was, someone who is as simple as an average person. Even Maia was noticeably different but why is he the same as before?
Maia noticed the down expression of Maki.
"Give it time, Maki. These so-called blessings aren't exactly blessings you know."
Maki instantly knew what his sister was talking about. He only nodded at her and smiled.
"Do you still want to find everyone?"
Magnus' questions were directed to Maia above anyone else.
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because it seems like it's weighing on my mind"
"It does but I'm just going along with the plan"
"Do you not want to know them? us? me?"
Magnus' voice sounded desperate and full of anxiety. Maia scratched the back of her head.
"Truthfully I don't know. I never knew your existence until grandma told us. Even when I saw you inside my earliest memories I don't know how to feel."
"That's understandable, there's no bond between us yet. We were separated when you were young"
"But you knew us didn't you?"
Maki looked at Magnus and the older male smiled sadly.
"I never forgot, and I never want to. My memories of everyone are the ones I cherish the most when I feel all alone"
"I'm sorry"
Maia's sincere apology took everyone by surprise.
"For what Maia?"
"For not knowing you and everyone else. For being this indifferent about how to feel towards my unknown siblings. Just… for everything"
Magnus chuckled lightly before patting Maia's head.
"I'll accept your apology if you start calling me Kuya or older brother."
Maia felt her energy suddenly drain from her body.
"It'll take time"
"I have all the time Maia"
Magnus relaxed and smiled at her. Maia felt a little bit comfortable now too. It was hard for her, trying to feel him out. She didn't know anything about him besides the fact that he had always wanted to keep her and everyone safe.
"These monitors, did you use them to search for everyone"
Magnus nodded at Damian's questions. Every monitor on the screen was turned on now and they could see everything.
Maia pointed out a few places that she couldn't recognize.
"Those aren't Lido Town are they?"
Magnus nodded before pointing at a few screens and naming the town, villages and cities that he could hack into.
"Where did you learn to do this?"
Magnus smiled proudly before standing up and going to the control panels. He punched some keys and some monitors moved until they could see three main screens that were larger than the others.
"Maddox settled in Sakura City, I last saw Maddin in Lucky City and Makoto is in Adelphia Village"
"So, you really did know where everyone was"
"Not everyone"
Magnus nodded at Maia's remark.
"You're missing one, Marvyll was her name wasn't it?"
At Damian's question, Magnus fell silent.
"She's the only one I never saw again since parting with"
"You think she's still alive?"
"I think she is"
Magnus and Damian turned around to see Maia and Maki both staring at the monitors.
"Do not seek her appearance. Do so and you would never be able to see her. Those were grandfather's words when I first tried to find the voice that helped me. Maki heard her too so that meant she wasn't a hallucination. It was either Marvyll or Maddin. But, according to you Maddin is in Lucky City and it would take months to travel from Lucky City to the fronthouse"
"So you're saying Marvyll was in the fronthouse?"
"Yes, but grandfather said she escaped which meant she could be everywhere now"
"Then how would we find her?"
Maki pondered on the thought, he thought long and hard before a thought settled in him.
"Do not seek appearance, do so and you would never see her. There was a line like that that pertained to one of the seven lucky Gods"
"You mean Hotei, Maki?"
"You know it too?"
Magnus nodded.
"I tried to learn everything I could. Mythology, religion, history, witchcraft, science, genetics, I searched everything that could help us into understanding what we really are.
One of the seven lucky Gods, Hotei was a God who was said to bless those who ignore appearances."
"Do not seek appearances. I think it meant we weren't supposed to search for her. That somehow she'll appear right in front of us when time comes?"
"Will you believe in it, Maia?"
Maia looked at Damian before looking at Magnus and Maki.
"It may seem impossible but for now I think it's better to go to these three first. We know their locations now. We can search for the last one later. Right?"
Magnus looked at Maia who was directing her question to him. He chuckled lightly.
"Right"
"You are coming this time right?"
Maki asked Magnus, the first meeting they had a very similar conversation. Magnus smiled back at him. He had felt this ever since he first met Maki but he was just a ray of sunshine.
"I guess it's time to go now. What do you guys think about having a getaway car?"